Uncommon Events Such as Tornadoes and Hurricanes Are Poor Gauges

The weather events that have the gravest impact on society are monster storms—tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons and other devastating tempests that destroy property and take lives. But those relatively uncommon events are poor measures of climate change.

They happen too seldom. They are only noted when they occur near populated areas. And their severity is generally gauged by the destruction they inflict.